Chapter 459: Lament of the Great General (II)

On the mountain path of Que Mouse Valley, Fang Chongyong's Yinqiang Xiaojie Army was heavily surrounded by his own father‑in‑law Wang Zhongsi, who led forty thousand elite troops!

Ironically, the troops that besieged him mostly came from Anxi, Beiting, Hexi and Longyou. Many familiar faces, many who had shared life‑and‑death bonds with Fang Chongyong.

Some had even blocked arrows for him on the battlefield!

At least that was the case then.

Yet at this very moment they draw swords against each other, about to clash in battle.

Fang Chongyong feels an indescribable sorrow, worse than when Brother Ji announced his death that night!

"Wang Zhongsi, I refuse to submit!"

Fang Chongyong sheaths his Swift‑Wind Illusion Blade, points at the crowd before him and says, his hair already bristling with fury!

"If you have any grievance, you can speak it out.

Today I am executing a righteous purge of kin, and I have plenty of time to listen to you.

Don't say you are merely Ah Xiu's husband; even if you are my unworthy son Wang Yanshu, I will still execute you by imperial decree."

Wang Zhongsi said coldly.

"When I was ten, I was already the Governor of Shazhou.

I served four years, keeping the region safe. During my tenure, the Tubo dared not come to Hexi to water their horses. In those four years, do you consider me a Tang iron wall?"

Fang Chongyong shouted, questioning.

Wang Zhongsi did not answer; he did not know these matters, but his companion Wang Silie certainly knows them in great detail.

At that time, smuggling in Hexi, Wang Silie was the military envoy of the Doulu Army; who took more, need I say?

"When the Tubo besieged Shazhou's Luocheng, who led troops to crush Da Zha Lu Gong! And who led troops to chase the Tubo army to Guazhou?

Does none of you know?"

Fang Chongyong asked again.

The opposite side remained silent. Clearly, there are parties involved, and quite a few.

"When I led troops a thousand li on a detour, defeated the Tubo imperial guard, and seized Yuanmen, where were you?"

"When I led troops to ambush the elite Tubo cavalry at Tumeng Tower, where were you?"

"When I raised provisions and uniforms for the Longyou border army, what were you doing?

Oh, right, what a commotion, impotent rage! Because they couldn't produce money, they were hopping mad!

When you received the rations I sent, did you even say thank you?"

Fang Chongyong fired questions like a rapid‑fire cannon; the opposing generals remained silent, not even daring to glance at him.

"Hmph! With this bear‑like appearance, you still dare call this Jiedushi a criminal!"

Fang Chongyong snorted coldly, continuing: "I won't press these, since many of you don't know. But when this Jiedushi swept the Western Regions with his troops, some of you were present, weren't you?

Gao Xianzhi, who saved your life in Dalosi? Without my turning the tide, your head would have already been chopped off by the black‑clad Great Tang Governor Huo Luoshan and used as a ball to kick!

And you still dare block me now; has your conscience been eaten by a dog?"

Fang Chongyong pointed at Gao Xianzhi across from him and shouted.

Gao Xianzhi quickly used his elbow to shield his face, so ashamed he wished he could tumble off his horse.

Hearing Fang Chongyong's words, the crossbowmen on both sides of the mountain path involuntarily lowered their heavy crossbows.

Every hill‑man has his own story, his own family, his own sense of right and wrong.

None of these are swayed by imperial authority, nor altered by an imperial edict.

They all know exactly what kind of person Fang Chongyong is. Back then, he led them to sweep the Western Regions, all nations submitted, the black‑clad Great Tang discarded helmets and armor, and Mulucheng was set ablaze.

What a carefree triumph that was! It became a glory they could brag about to their descendants for a lifetime!

More importantly, Fang Chongyong never owed them a single coin in pay! Every reward was never short of even a piece of cloth!

In their eyes, Fang Chongyong is a commander who is skillful, fair, and magnanimous!

Such a person should not die here, nor at the hands of his own men.

"When I led you to strike the black‑clad Great Tang, and when I led you to subdue the myriad demons and monsters of the Western Regions, have I ever wronged you?

One great victory after another—has this Jiedushi ever set a trap for you?

"Ah? Then speak up, will you?"

Fang Chongyong pointed at the crowd and loudly demanded.

Hearing this, Gao Xianzhi, Li Siyie, Bai Xiaode and others dismounted, moved aside voluntarily, clearing the front path.

Human hearts are flesh‑grown.

They are human, not machines, nor controlled by Brother Ji's brain! They know right from wrong, they know who is causing trouble, who is destroying the Great Wall themselves!

Today's Fang Chongyong could very well be tomorrow's them.

If even Fang Chongyong is like this, who among them can escape a tragic end?

Many things cannot be spoken of; mentioning them only brings tears.

When the rabbit dies, the fox mourns; creatures grieve for their kind!

Who dares say today's events won't happen to them in the future?

"Fine, even if you've forgotten those events, you should remember the War of the Four Kings, right? Huangfu Weiming has already established a court in Yecheng; rebel forces ravage Hebei and Hedong—don't tell me they don't exist.

I ask you, who went to Shuo Fang to block the rebel Uighur?

Who led troops to aid Hedong and defend Taiyuan City to the death?

Who persuaded Cai Xide to submit to our Tang?

Who fought so fiercely that Shi Siming dared not cross Chitang Pass?

Did those rebel troops all kill themselves?

When I led the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army in a blood‑soaked campaign against the Hebei rebels, where were you!

This Jiedushi must ask: what crime have I committed! What crime has the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army committed!

Which law of the land have we violated? Which military regulation?

For such great merit, not only has the court bestowed no reward, it instead wants to execute meritorious officials!

Is this the national righteousness you pursue, is this what it means to serve the nation with your life?

Is this how one serves the sovereign?

Returning kindness with resentment—how then does one answer resentment?

Wang Zhongsi!

All because of a single word from that benighted and tyrannical ruler, you would turn against your own, you would cut down the pillars of the nation, you would slaughter the soldiers who fought for the country!

You foolish man of blind loyalty! You cannot distinguish right from wrong, nor tell good from evil!

Following the imperial edict is doing a small good and observing minor propriety; killing meritorious officials is committing a great evil and a monstrous sin!

You are unworthy to be a general!"

Fang Chongyong vented fiercely, cursing to his heart's content.

Yet he also knew that this was in fact completely useless. If it truly came to a fight, he did not have the slightest chance of winning.

Phew!

Wang Zhongsi pinched his lips and let out a whistle.

The hidden troops on both sides of the mountain road at once melted back into the forest. The large army blocking the road behind him tactfully withdrew to the roadside and set their weapons on the ground, showing they posed no threat.

Wang Zhongsi dismounted, stepped forward, unbuckled the sword at his waist, and offered it with both hands.

Fang Chongyong hurriedly dismounted to receive it, then looked at Wang Zhongsi with a complicated expression, not knowing what the other man was playing at.

"Axiu and the others have all gone to Bianzhou. Do not return to Chang'an; go to Bianzhou instead. Once past Queshu Valley, take a detour, for I fear the Sage may still have troops lying in ambush in Puzhou.

After today's parting, the next time we meet may well be on the battlefield, arms in hand. Take care of yourself."

Wang Zhongsi said with a sigh.

"Father-in-law, why go to such lengths to protect that benighted ruler?"

Fang Chongyong urged.

"The Sage raised me in the palace, treating me as a son.

The grace of recognizing my worth is something I can never repay.

The Sage may wrong me, but I cannot wrong the Sage—this is the way of loyalty and filial piety.

Wang Yanshu will follow you from now on. He has always been young and inexperienced, far less clever and decisive than you; just guide and support him more in the future.

As for the Sage..."

Wang Zhongsi smiled bitterly and shook his head, not knowing how to judge.

"Go."

Wang Zhongsi waved his large hand, and the men still standing in the middle of the road blocking the way immediately stepped aside.

"Take care, Father-in-law."

Fang Chongyong cupped his fists in salute to Wang Zhongsi.

He mounted his horse and shouted to the column behind him: "Pick up the march!"

Seeing that no great battle would break out, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, from officers down to the common soldiers, all breathed a long sigh of relief. It was not that they feared death, but no one wished to die so despairingly.

Three thousand troops swiftly passed through Queshu Valley, departing without the slightest hesitation, the entire process orderly and methodical.

"Jiedushi, you let Fang Guozhong go—how will you explain this to the Sage?"

Gao Xianzhi stepped forward and asked Wang Zhongsi, looking deeply worried.

"Fang Guozhong has rendered great service to the nation; even if he is at fault, his crime does not warrant death. As for how to explain it to the Sage, that is this Jiedushi's affair and will not implicate any of you.

The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is fierce and formidable in battle. Our ambush failed and let them through Queshu Valley—that is not surprising."

Wang Zhongsi gave a long sigh, not wanting to explain any further.

As for what the Sage would do—in truth, Great Tang had already become what it was; what could the Sage even do now?

Wang Zhongsi understood many things; he simply did not wish to bring them up.

The majesty of imperial authority lay not in who was emperor, who was crown prince, who was a prince, or who could succeed to the throne.

It lay in the two words "succession."

Transmitting power into the hands of the next Son of Heaven, how it was transmitted, this process, and the rules of succession—these were in fact the most essential things.

Wang Zhongsi was protecting Brother Ji precisely for the sake of "succession," but he did not say so to Fang Chongyong, nor could he.

Because everything Fang Chongyong had done before, apart from the Chang'an mutiny that one time, shared the same idea as his own—all of it was protecting "succession."

Today's Fang Chongyong was tomorrow's self; as for what the future held, Wang Zhongsi did not place too much hope in it. He also knew that compared to the generals under his command, Fang Chongyong could already be considered "fiercely loyal."

The Sage's perverse actions would sooner or later be answered with reprisal from the military commanders!

Yet even so, Wang Zhongsi still had to try his utmost to restore Great Tang's succession. Though he knew he could almost certainly not accomplish it.

If one did as Fang Youde did, propping up a crown prince, then hereafter the crown prince would become a tool and plaything of the ministers.

Wang Zhongsi was greatly disappointed that Fang Youde could not see this!

"The entire army sets out for Taiyuan City.

This time we have concentrated a hundred thousand elite troops, entering Hebei via Jingxing—we must take Hebei in one stroke and sweep away the rebel army!"

Wang Zhongsi gave a long sigh and waved his hand, signaling the troops to fall in.

In truth, he had never intended to move against Fang Chongyong and the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army; he had already issued military orders that under no circumstances were they to use force this time.

Many of those who came along this time were Fang Chongyong's former subordinates. If they had ruthlessly slaughtered the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, how could they face anyone afterward?

"The Sage has truly grown old; he no longer understands at all what the people below him are thinking.

Where is this Great Tang headed?"

Watching the wild geese flying north toward the horizon, Wang Zhongsi's heart was incomparably heavy.

If even Fang Chongyong could not protect himself, what of the others?

People's hearts were about to scatter.

Wang Zhongsi subconsciously felt for his sword, only to remember he had already given it to Fang Chongyong.

……

Yindi Pass, not far north of Huoyi County, was the exit of Queshu Valley. The soldiers of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army, still shaken from their ordeal, did not feel their suspended hearts settle until they reached here.

"Fuck! That damn dog emperor! I'll bathe Taiyuan in blood!"

He Changqi slammed his helmet onto the ground, his face flushed red with rage!

"Taiyuan City has probably gathered a hundred thousand elite soldiers now. If you want revenge, go right ahead and slaughter that dog emperor.

We'll give you all our armor, guaranteeing you'll be impervious to blades and spears."

Fang Chongyong said lazily, sitting on a large boulder and catching his breath, then took a fierce gulp of water!

Was he convinced? Of course not! But what could he do about it?

What is past cannot be undone; what is to come can still be pursued.

The strong never complain about circumstances! Never regret the past!

"Jiedushi, now that we have become rebels of the court, should we go to Hebei and seek refuge with Huangfu Weiming?"

Che Guangqian asked with a heavy expression.

"Do you love being a dog that much? Isn't Li Wan also a prince of the Li-Tang imperial house? Isn't Huangfu Weiming also a man brimming with ambition?"

Fang Chongyong retorted without any courtesy. He rarely talked back to Che Guangqian, but this time it was a matter of life and death, leaving no room for the slightest mistake.

Che Guangqian lowered his head sheepishly and said no more.

"Let me ask you all one thing: have you had enough of being dogs? Do you still want to be dogs for the Li family?"

Fang Chongyong looked around at everyone and asked.

"I don't want to be a dog."

Duan Xiushi, who had been silent all along, suddenly interjected.

In truth, after this battle, no one in the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army would ever again lay down their lives for Brother Ji. They might even turn on him and defect to the rebel army in Hebei.

But it would go no further than that.

The ideology of supreme imperial authority was deeply rooted, leaving them with no choice to make!

"And you?"

Fang Chongyong looked at the others and asked.

"Those who like being dogs for the Li family can hide their names and leave the ranks right now.

Pretend we never knew each other. In the future, the road is wide and open—each goes his own way."

Fang Chongyong's expression was incomparably solemn as he looked around at everyone and spoke.

Silence surrounded them. Clearly, some still harbored doubts in their hearts.

Seeing no one speak, Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh and said to them all:

"Just now in Queshu Valley, we were already people who had died once. If a person dies once, shouldn't they change their way of living?

From today onward, I will no longer be called Fang Chongyong, nor will my courtesy name be Guozhong.

From now on, you may call me Fang Qing—the Qing that sweeps the world clean!

My courtesy name is Jutian—the Ju of immense, the Tian of a pillar supporting heaven.

Calling me Fang Jutian works too. This is my intention. What do you say?"

"Good!"

Che Guangqian raised a hand and said: "We are all people who have died once. From now on, we follow the Jiedushi—into water we go, into fire we go! Through boiling water and dancing flames, we will not shrink back! Whoever shares my will, raise your hand!"

"Yes! Through boiling water and dancing flames, we will not shrink back!"

Everyone shouted in unison, each raising a hand!

No doubt, wanted notices for the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army would soon be posted everywhere.

Anyone who left the ranks would surely be walking a dead-end road!

Only by sticking together could they survive!

"Good. Now that this is settled, the question is: where do we go next?"

Fang Chongyong finally raised the most critical question.

"Jiedushi, let's go to Chang'an, slaughter every last member of the Li-Tang imperial house, loot that dog emperor's inner treasury clean, and go wherever we please with the wealth!"

He Changqi hastily offered this suggestion, fearing that an unreliable proposal from a colleague might lead Fang Chongyong astray.

But hearing this, everyone smiled bitterly and shook their heads.

As a personal guard captain and vanguard of the march, He Changqi was outstanding—he could even be called the sharpest blade in the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army.

But asking him to come up with plans was another matter entirely.

What does "ivory never comes from a dog's mouth" mean? Look at He Changqi and you'll know.

"Jiedushi, occupy Puzhou and sever Hedong's supply route. This plan is feasible."

Che Guangqian cupped his fists and proposed.

"It sounds fine, but we can't withstand the hundred thousand elite soldiers in Hedong. If they march over, could we still hold them off?"

Fang Chongyong waved his hand.

"Brother-in-law, let's go to Bianzhou instead."

Fang Chongyong's brother-in-law Wang Yanshu suggested. This was in fact also the Wang family's arrangement—Fang Chongyong's family had already gone to Bianzhou.

"We do need to go to Bianzhou, but we cannot take the Hedong route to get there."

Fang Chongyong spoke in a low voice, sketching a very rough topographic map on the ground. With just a few strokes, quite spirited, he outlined Hedong's interior and exterior terrain.

"「The court's troops might be lying in ambush on the Hedong route. This time, there'll be no father‑in‑law and no old troops—going there means certain death."

"As for a way to survive, one should go east from Jinzhou, take a little‑used path to Luzhou, then cross Hukou Pass, exit the Koukou Ridge, and reach the vicinity of Ye City."

Ye City?

That isn't the rebel capital, is it?

This joke's gone too far!

"「Jiedushi, if we go to Ye City, isn't that…?""

Before Che Guangqian could finish speaking, the more she thought about it, the more she felt… this tactic actually seemed kind of interesting.

"「Do you really think Huangfu Weiming will attack us? You still think of yourselves as the elite of the official army?"

We are rebels now!

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but add.

Everyone looked at each other, as if they had understood something.

(End of chapter)